


Bad Days

by Itio



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Anxiety, Kevin is Jathis' kevin, forced happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2015-07-27
Packaged: 2018-04-11 15:06:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4440515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itio/pseuds/Itio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kevin has good days and bad days.<br/>Kevin based on Jathis' design.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bad Days

You had good days and bad days.  
Not the usual good and bad days. Those were predictable and easy to handle with a smile and a twist of the screws to adjust your posture. You rarely had those good or bad days anymore.  
Though, this couldn’t be fixed with braces and it was something you really would rather no one knew. There was a fix, but it wasn’t anything you were willing to bow down and have done. You were not going to stand, in one way literally, having any more of their help.  
These bad days were still as crippling as the other kind though, and you had to put on that smile and make sure no one noticed. Smiling God forbid anyone noticed.  
Some days you feel worthless as you slip on the braces over your aching legs. You tighten the belts into place so they are snug and you feel the screws lightly pressing on your scarred skin through blood stained holes driven through your pants from the previous days.  
You feel the anxiety build up in your chest and you have to take a deep breath as you tighten each of the four belts on your left leg. You have to be strong, defy that God they force down your throat and into your mind.  
You swallow down your pride as you tighten the belt around your waist to hold your braces in place. You look in the mirror and immediately have to look away. What have they done to you? This wasn’t a cure. This was punishment.  
You were never going to get better.  
You knew that before StrexCorp. Chronic illnesses don’t go away overnight. They have good days and bad days and sometimes you just need a break. They can’t see that and bind you with painful reminders to keep up the good work. To keep up the productivity.  
You could be productive without the braces.  
Sure the dull pain would return over time, but it would be better than the sharp reminders. You could always buy another cane. You could always share the chair with your brother.  
Things could go back to normal.  
Though, you know they couldn’t. Things never will and that is the one thing that kills you the most. Your hair will never grow back like it used to, StrexCorp’s influence will never truly leave. The scars on your legs will haunt you for a lifetime.  
The pain will never leave.  
You close your eyes tightly before giving your widest smile and opening your eyes.  
Then you walk out the door and head to work, grinning wide to hide the pain and the anxieties.  
After all. You have to be productive or they may notice.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Credit goes to [Jathis](http://jathis.tumblr.com) for their design and allowing me to post this!


End file.
